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OOO~88, Traditional Roots in Agriculture Genetic Diversity Available in Minor Breeds Paul Muto Modern agribusiness rests on a narrow founda- tion. Years of intensive breeding and the demand for increased productivity and prof"Itability have reduced the spectrum of genetic variability in crops and live- stock to a Irlghtfully limited base. Our livestock today produce more milk and meat alld ,short term prof"Its than older breeds, but the tradeoffs have been a higher cost of production, overspecialization and great strain on the physical limits of the animal. If we are to envision a sustainable agriculture in harmony with nature, then we must look to those breeds oflivestock that evolved in a natural environ- ment. This implies a shift away from the single motive of prof"It in agriculture to one of diversification ' and acceptance of physical limits inherent in any animal. Because these animals are low in overall numbers and are currently of minor economic impor- tance, they are known as rare or minor breeds. What do minor breeds have to offer, and why is it important that they be saved? First of all, these breeds have generally been around for centuries, sometimes millennia, and have been able to thrive without high-energy feeds, specialized housing, or reproductive assistance. With limited human inter- ference, breeds'oflivestock have been shaped primar- ily by their immediate environment. Those which . could not adapt to the available forage, parasite populations, or.the local weather system would perish, while animals better suited to the ecosystem would survive. Many of these breeds represent the direct descendants of the earliest domesticated animals and are not only important in helping to dis- cover more about early agriculture, but have a right to exist for their own sake. Just because they may no longer be the most profltable animal, we do not have the right to allow their extinction. Like any other wild organism, they represent a long period of evolu- tion and add greatly to the diversity of our current livestock gene pool. Their adaptability may once again f"Ind them an important niche in a solar-pow- ered agricultural system. Although hardiness is a common characteristic among minor breeds, there are examples of breeds under domestication for a long period and are not adapted to all of the climatic conditions of their natural ecosystem. In cases where winters are very severe, livestock may have a difficult time surviving without the benef"It of winter housing. Since breeding for winter hardiness is no longer a necessity, other characteristics, such as extreme fecundity, have ,been selected. This represents an early example of breed- ing in a human environment. The Finnish Landrace sheep is an example of such a breed. One would expect this breed from Scandinavia, to be very hardy, but winters are so severe there that sheep have traditionally been housed. The result is a highly prolific breed known for giving birth to "litters" of lambs. Other problems, however, have developed. Their wool has lost its ability to shed water, and the animal is prone to foot and jaw problems.' Despite these problems, they are still useful for crossbreeding . in order to increase a flock's fertility. This example of breeding under artificial conditions, although quite rare in minor breeds, is a prevalent practice in modern agribusiness. For farmers, this has resulted in increased productivity, but also a higher cost for housing and livestock health. For a more sustainable system in a natural environment, the source for livestock adapted to rougher conditions would still come from minor breeds. For the most part, minor breeds exhibit characteristics such as hardiness, disease and parasite resistance, aild good mothering abilities that are necessary to thrive in a low input, diversified system. The main emphasis in livestock breeding today is on increased productivity and profitability. This is accomplished not only through standard breeding programs, but through the more recent technological . innovations of hormone treatments and gene splicing. The animal, once part of the natural system, has now been turned into a production machine, one that is increasingly pushed to its physical limits. Modern day confinement pigs are an example of an animal bred for maximum production under the most controlled environment.. "Scientiflcally formu- lated diets are delivered at regular intervals in housing which exerts full artificial control of tempera- ture and humidity, but provides the smallest permis- sible amount ofspace." The Landrace pigs ofScandi- navia, "their bodies as long as the algebraic formulae that were used to computerize their breeding," have shown signs that their hind legs no longer function properly, and meat quality has shown a marked decline.' This type of overbreeding is present in many types of livestock, but is particularly bad in swine and poultry production units. The animal's ability to survive outside the confinement building is almost totally absent. The concept of the animal as a production machine is relatively new, dating to the shift towards ~ ~ ~ f ).: ~, ~ ~ ~ ~; . ~ ~ ~; ~ ?: ~ ~t ~ ~ r~ ~ i;~ ~ ~; ffi ~ jj ,~J i :1 ! ~ ~ ~~ it ~j:; ::* :}~ " .;<<:- -r ii ~-t .;' i:~ :.:~ ~ ;.~ r~ ~. ..' ,~ ~ ~J: ~~ '~"-t 24